Burger King UK almost doubles whole system sales in eight years, franchisees now want more sites: Burger King UK has almost doubled its whole system sales in the eight years since it first started as master franchisee here – and its franchisees now want more sites. Chief executive Alasdair Murdoch previously said that the company’s customer satisfaction levels are outperforming both KFC and McDonald’s, with a reduction in driver waiting times helping drive sales and focusing on poorer performing stores pulling it ahead of the market. Murdoch has said the business is set to do “well north of £800m” in whole system sales this year – including both company and franchised stores. Speaking at Propel’s Operational Excellence Conference, Murdoch said: “We’ve had fairly significant growth over the last few years. Our business has compounded at 10% a year since 2018, which means it will do well north of £800m this year (in whole system sales), and when we started, we were probably down at £440m or £450m. Our total sales growth will, equally significantly, be more than 10%. When we started out in 2017, I think the Burger King business in the UK, historically, hadn’t been run, from a corporate level, very well. There had been a succession of management changes over the prior 20 years and our franchisees had been really poorly managed. What we’ve set out to do is try to be consistent and constant with that. We’ve grown a lot to get to 300 by buying a lot of our franchisees out, but what we’ve now got is I was rung up by MFG the other day – a growing franchisee of ours – and they were saying as many sites as you can give us, we’ll open. We feel we’ve got it working for them, they’re able to make money and they’re reinvesting.” Murdoch added that the company is no longer reliant on external hires, with two thirds of management roles filled internally. He added: “We had a big challenge post-covid like everyone did. We made a few really bad missteps, and hopefully we have learnt from those. We were previously really reliant on external hires and I think we over-faced a lot of people – it wasn’t their lack of ability, we pushed them into those operations too quickly when they weren’t necessarily ready. We launched an accelerated fast track programme as a short-term fix as the turnover in our assistant manager population was far too high. We ran the programme in 2022 and 2023 and then stopped to take a fresh approach to the whole talent pipeline. We launched a career pathways programme in 2025, and we now have a structured pathway which allows restaurant managers to seek out the best talent. Two in three of our manager roles are now filled internally. We are building 30 restaurants a year, and what you don’t want to be doing, as we have done in the past, is taking your best managers out of your best stores and put them into new places. All you’re going to do is weaken your Ebitda over time. Our labour turnover is now down to 55%, which is quite a good number considering we employ around 14,000 people. This is a reduction of over 40% from 98% in May 2022, but we feel there is more work to be done in this area.” Premium Club subscribers will receive all the videos from the Operational Excellence Conference on Friday, 1 August at 9am. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

Propel’s Culture, Talent & Training Conference open for bookings, Red Engine co-founder Paul Barham and people director Fran Carpenter to speak: Propel's Culture, Talent & Training Conference has now opened for bookings. The conference takes place on Thursday, 9 October at One Moorgate Place in London. Among the speakers will be Paul Barham and Fran Carpenter, co-founder and people director, respectively, of Red Engine, the Flight Club and Electric Shuffle operator. Karen Turton, founder of Purple Story, will talk to Barham and Carpenter about the challenges of building a culture in a fast-growing business across multiple concepts and multiple territories. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £295 plus VAT for operators and £345 plus VAT for suppliers. Premium Club subscribers get a 20% discount. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive updated Multi-Site Database with 3,444 operators and 26 new companies on Friday, videos from Operational Excellence Conference on Friday, 1 August: Premium Club subscribers are to receive the updated Multi-Site Database on Friday, 25 June. The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,444 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 1,005 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 800 (23%) pub and bar operators, 597 (17%) cafe bakery operators, 480 (14%) quick service restaurant (QSR) operators, 283 (8%) hotel operators, 225 (7%) experiential leisure operators and 54 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 26 new companies. The database includes new companies in the QSR sector such Domino’s franchisee Hala Group and Midlands McDonald’s franchisee Cara Restaurants. Premium Club subscribers will also receive all the videos from the Operational Excellence Conference on Friday, 1 August, at 9am. They include Steve Haslam, founder of pub and restaurant operator AIM, talking about improving operating standards to revitalise performance in uniquely challenging times. Premium Club subscribers will also receive all the videos from the Operational Excellence Conference on Friday, 1 August, at 9am. They include Steve Haslam, founder of pub and restaurant operator AIM, talking about improving operating standards to revitalise performance in uniquely challenging times. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database; the Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who's Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Club subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events and discounts on specialist sector reports. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers receive their daily Propel Info newsletter 11 hours earlier than standard subscribers, at 7pm the evening before. They also receive videos of presentations at eight Propel conference events two weeks after they are held. This represents around 100 videos of industry insight over the course of the year. Premium Club subscribers will be sent a dedicated monthly newsletter that will highlight key updates in the sector and direct subscribers to all the vital content their membership offers. Premium Club subscribers also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel group editor Mark Wingett and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

Restaurants adapt as diners shun late nights: British restaurants are adapting to a rise in early dinner reservations by offering steep discounts and changing staff hours, as more health-conscious customers opt for early nights. The FT reports that Londoners made 11% more restaurant reservations at 6pm, and 10% more at 5pm, in the first six months of 2025 compared to the previous year, according to data from booking platform OpenTable. Bookings at these early slots were up 6% in the rest of the UK over the same period, while reservations for the traditional dinner time of 8pm fell 3% across the country, the data showed. OpenTable said the shift to early-bird dining has been underway since the covid-19 pandemic, although 7pm is still overall the most popular time for bookings. Jeremy King’s Arlington and The Park in London introduced a 25% late-night discount in an effort to lure diners earlier this year. Restaurant chain Tampopo has also introduced an “After 9 club”, with reduced price drinks for tables dining after peak hours. “There’s nothing worse than going into a restaurant at 10.30pm or 11pm and getting a sense that they’re waiting to put the chairs on the table,” King said. Reservation data suggests there is still consumer appetite for later dining. Although late-night bookings are relatively flat year-over-year, it has become more popular among larger groups. Bookings for groups of more than six people for 10pm were up almost 10% compared with last year. 

 

Travelodge launches AI assistant: Travelodge has launched a new AI assistant, Ara, which is available now to customers staying at its UK hotels. Ara will use generative AI to help customers with questions about their upcoming stays. Once they’ve made a booking, customers will be sent a link to Ara which they can access 24/7. Guests can currently access it via the Travelodge website, either on a computer or mobile device. Following a successful three-month trial in Greater London and Birmingham, Ara is now available to customers at all Travelodge hotels across the UK. Ara is already proving popular, with Travelodge logging 20,000 interactions a month. The most common topics include hotel and parking information, nearby local amenities and food options. Ara will work alongside Travelodge’s existing dedicated customer service team, but by handling the quicker and more common customer questions, will free up time for its human colleagues to deal with more complex queries. A Travelodge spokesperson said: “We are really excited to launch a customer-facing AI assistant offering a 24/7, ultra fast way for customers to ask any questions about their booking. We’ve been testing it behind the scenes for a number of months to ensure we gave the best possible experience to our customers. Feedback has been really positive so far with guests appreciating the speed and availability of Ara.”

 

Chancellor’s tax raid spells last orders for rural pubs: Thousands of struggling village pubs could be forced to close next year because of a punishing tax raid by Labour. Pub sector bosses have warned that the government must intervene to stop smaller taverns, which are vital to rural communities, from being dragged into paying business rates for the first time. This extra tax burden could be the “last straw” for many venues and could see villages bereft of their local boozer, Chris Jowsey, chief executive of Admiral Taverns, which runs 1,600 community pubs across the UK, told the Mail on Sunday. Meanwhile, TV star and landlord Jeremy Clarkson, said the looming tax raid had left publicans “like Butch and Sundance at the end of the movie – taking fire from absolutely everywhere”. Jowsey has called on Labour to raise the threshold for business rates so that properties with an estimated rental value of £17,000 a year would be exempt – up from £12,000 a year, in line with inflation over the past decade. This would protect the most vulnerable venues from being whacked with rates bills, which he estimates could be £6,000 a year for the average tavern. Jowsey said: “The government is sleepwalking into a crisis for England and Wales’ much-loved community pubs, as punitive business rate increases threaten their viability. This means many of these pubs will be dragged into paying business rates for the first time, even if their profits are falling. Unfortunately, this may be the final straw for many hard-working licensees and their pubs, depriving communities of vital social amenities that help overcome loneliness and isolation.” Jowsey said he was alarmed that despite the looming decimation of Britain’s pub sector, he could not “see anyone in the government talking about this”. He is concerned it will accelerate the closure of pubs, which would “do a lot of damage” to the country’s social fabric. He said: “If Westminster acts, we call on the Welsh government to follow suit and protect Welsh pubs too.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a fast-growing leisure business that spans large-scale catering, events and conference centres, sports facilities and hotels that is looking for an operations director. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “As the business continues to grow and enhance its national presence, it is seeking a commercially savvy and passionate director to help lead this exciting phase of development. The group is particularly interested in speaking with candidates who have experience in hotels, conference and event venues, theme parks, stadia, racecourses or similarly complex, guest-focused environments. Additional experience within health and fitness or the wider leisure sector would be a strong advantage.” The salary is £85,000-plus and the role is based in London. For more information, email stuart@corecruitment.com.

 

Licensing update: John Gaunt & Partners licensing solicitors has just published its latest licensing update. It provides information on the extension of alcohol hours for on-licences, which has kicked in due to the Lionesses reaching the semi-finals. There is potential for a further extension should they reach the final. The full update can be accessed here.

 

Big Table Group CEO – Banana Tree is doing well, Cardiff site is exceeding expectations: Alan Morgan, chief executive of Big Table Group, the Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Frankie & Benny’s operator, has said that the company’s 22-strong Banana Tree brand “is doing well” and that the group’s first non-converted site, in Cardiff, is “exceeding our expectations and growing each week”. It comes as Banana Tree reported sales increased to £24,344,000 for the year ending 27 October 2024 compared with £20,422,000 for the 18 months previously. On a 12-month basis, sales were £9.9m higher, “which was due to additional sites that opened as Banana Tree during the year”. Adjusted Ebitda fell to a loss of £287,000 compared with a profit of £1,215,000 in the prior 18 months, which included central cost recharges in relation to shared services provided by Big Table Group, as well as post opening costs relating to new sites. Pre-tax losses grew to £2,299,000 from £182,000 in the previous 18 months. The company acquired the then nine-strong Banana Tree for an undisclosed sum in September 2022 and has since converted 12 of its existing sites, the majority Café Rouges, to Banana Tree. During the period, Big Table Group converted six sites to Banana Tree. Last month, Banana Tree opened in Mill Lane in Cardiff, which was the brand’s debut in Wales and its biggest site yet, offering 290 covers split over two floors. Morgan told Propel: “Banana Tree is doing well. It’s a brand that has not been immune to the challenging trading conditions, particularly at evenings and weekends, but its delivery sales and lunch time trade are well ahead. Our new site in Cardiff is exceeding our expectations and growing each week. The guest response has been fantastic, and we’re keen to see more sites open in the near future.” On the accounts, Morgan said: “The business had a very good year that was masked somewhat in the end of year numbers by some details that need to be understood. First, the full year 2023 had 18 months of trading (because it was the year of purchase). Second, we converted a number of Café Rouge sites that would not have been typical Banana Trees, but the cash return in converting was very strong in comparison. This means we have some Banana Tree sites that are not in optimal locations for the brand, but I’m confident that as the brand grows (in offer and awareness), and with the fantastic work the team have done in evolving the proposition, these will continue to improve. Third – there was a substantial cost increase in the 2024 numbers, from a combination of us investing heavily for new site growth and the fact that it picked up some of our central overhead allocations, that were not in the brand the previous year. Therefore, if you adjust for all these elements, trading Ebitda for Banana Tree would have been in strong growth.”

 

Amsterdam’s Sushi Fanatics to make UK debut: Sushi Fanatics – Amsterdam’s “hidden sushi izakaya” – is to make its UK debut, having secured a first London location at 9 Chapel Market, Islington. The brand launched onto Amsterdam’s sushi scene in 2020, when owners Erica Ho and Hiu Lai opened a small sushi shop on the Albert Cuyp Market, before relocating in 2022 to a site which allowed them to launch omakase experience Shigure in a “hidden” room later that year. The duo have since also launched matcha concept Taigu. Known for their authentic Japanese dishes crafted with the highest quality ingredients, Sushi Fanatics has built a loyal following, combining “precision, freshness, and a modern approach to traditional Japanese cuisine”. Louie Gazdar at Davis Coffer Lyons acted on behalf of the private landlord to let the 1,000 square-foot unit, which was previously occupied by Hot Stone.

 

Cake Box aiming to grow Asian sweet retailer Ambala Foods to 100 sites in next five years: Sukh Chamdal, chief executive of fresh cream cakes business Cake Box, has said it is aiming to grow Ambala Foods – the manufacturer and retailer of Asian sweets that it acquired in March for £22m – to 100 sites in the next five years. Ambala currently operates 22 stores, with 19 owned stores and three franchised stores, and has been family-run since inception in 1964. In terms of expanding Ambala, Chamdal told investors following its full-year results: “We’re aiming for 100 Ambala stores in next five years. These will be a mix of stand-alone and hybrid stores with Cake Box.” Chamdal also said there is also plenty of white space for its eponymous business to go after in the UK as the circa 250-strong brand targets growth to 400 locations. “We’ve entered new locations such as Belfast, Hastings and Worthing, and then there’s those places we think could support further Cake Boxes – Derby, Leicester and Cardiff are just some examples,” said Chamdal. “We believe there’s lots of opportunity to expand in the UK.” Chamdal also said the group’s debut international site – which has just opened in Paris – is “trading well”. “We’re still in the soft launch period and getting the website up and running,” he added. “Once the site settles down, we’re look at other opportunities.” Cake Box reported turnover increased 13% to £42.78m for the year ending 30 March 2025 compared with £37.84m the previous year. Underlying Ebitda was up 17.1% to £8.73m from £7.46m.

Package of pubs let to Stonegate sold for in excess of £8m: The freehold investments of a five-strong package of pubs let to Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, have been sold in a deal valued at in excess of £8m, Propel has learned. Portland Leisure Advisers advised BlackRock on the sale of what was called The Craft Portfolio. The sale, alongside a further public house disposal, which is now under contract, concluded a circa £27m sell-down of the fund’s long-income pub assets. The sales process totalled 18 assets, located across the UK, let to major pub companies including Stonegate Pub Company, Greene King and Punch Pubs. Propel revealed in March that offers in excess of £8.25m were being sought for The Craft Portfolio, which comprises The Merchant in Glasgow, The Mailbox in Lincoln, Yates in Blackpool, Slug & Lettuce in Derby and The Green Dragon in Croydon. The pubs have a combined annual Ebitda of £2.62m, and the combined offer price sought of £8.25m reflected a net initial yield of 8.53%. The five sites were described as “highly profitable, long-income public house investments”. Jack Silvani at Portland Leisure Advisers acted on the Craft Portfolio deal, while Ed Sandall at Savills acted on behalf of the purchaser.

Investment interest in a package of pubs let to Urban Pubs & Bars brought to market: The freehold investment interest in four London pubs let to Urban Pubs & Bars has been brought to market with a combined price of £14,310,000, Propel understands. The package, which is being marketed by Savills, comprises the Clapton Hart, Clapton, E5 – asking price of £2,510,000 (5.5% net initial yield (NIY)); the East Dulwich Tavern, East Dulwich, SE22 – £4,030,000 (5.75% NIY); the Hagen & Hyde, Balham, SW12 – £4,320,000 (5.75% NIY); and the Antelope, Tooting, SW17 – £3,450,000 (5.75% NIY). The pubs, which were formerly operated by Antic, are all let on leases expiring in May 2044, with the rents subject to five yearly annually compounded upwards only reviews. Last August, Propel revealed that Urban Pubs & Bars had acquired 11 sites from the portfolio of London pubs formerly operated by Antic, which was placed into administration last summer. The Chris Hill-led Urban, which was founded by Malc Heap and Nick Pring and is backed by Davidson Kempner and Global Mutual, acquired eight trading leasehold businesses and three vacant freehold sites. 

 

Blind Tiger Inns set to sign tenancy deal for Sale pub, trading strong this year: North west multiple operator Blind Tiger Inns is set to sign a tenancy deal for a pub in Sale for its 24th site and has told Propel that trading has been strong this year. Having just reopened The Castle in Clitheroe following a major refurbishment, next up for the company is The Little B in Sale, a new partnership with Thwaites, which is set to open in mid-August. Managing director Chris Tulloch described the upcoming launch as “one of our most exciting projects to date”. He added: “Little Bs is a new five-year tenancy with Thwaites but new to Blind Tiger Inns. Trading remains strong, both in turnover and profit conversion this year. In terms of growth plans, as ever, we’re not pushing for pub numbers, but always on the lookout for quality pubs that will add value to our existing portfolio.” The recent works at The Castle means the business has invested more than £1m across its estate in the past year. The pub, Blind Tiger’s first partnership with Trust Inns, has launched with strong early momentum and features enhanced outdoor areas and upgraded bar and cellar infrastructure. Tulloch said following the success of this collaboration, further opportunities between Blind Tiger and Trust Inns are already under discussion. He added: “The Castle is a great pub in a brilliant town, and we’re delighted to have reopened it in partnership with Trust Inns. It’s been a strong start and we’re excited about the potential for further collaborations.”

Glasgow operator The Superlative Collection sets sights on expanding to Edinburgh and London: Glasgow operator The Superlative Collection has told Propel that it has its sights set on expanding to Edinburgh and London. The Superlative Collection will open its eighth venue in the city next month. The Delphine will be an all-day bistro, cafe and bar in the courtyard of Princes Square shopping centre in Buchanan Street. In terms of possible further expansion in the city, Courtney Flynn, head of sales, PR and communication at The Superlative Collection, told Propel: “We will never say never! We pride ourselves on being experts in the field, so if something came along, we would explore it. We are looking to make moves into Edinburgh and London in the future.” In terms of trading, Flynn said: “Glasgow has its challenges. However, various city-wide events, conferences and concerts have really helped with trade. Glasgow is an amazing city with so much potential; with the current regeneration taking place and playing host to the Commonwealth Games, we are hoping the city can really kick on.” The Delphine marks the group’s second opening this year following The Noble pub in Bothwell Street in February. The company’s other venues are Glaschu, Maison by Glaschu, Gōst, The Duke’s Umbrella, The Clubhouse and Blue Dog.

Saint Espresso opens in former Daily Mail headquarters off London’s Fleet Street: London-based neighbourhood cafe and coffee roasters Saint Espresso has opened in the former Daily Mail headquarters just off London’s Fleet Street. The company has opened its latest coffee bar at Northcliffe House at 26a Tudor Street, meaning it now has nine sites in operation or development, and two more locations launching later this year. Founded more than a decade ago in Angel Islington, Saint Espresso offers carefully sourced coffees, in house roasting, seasonal drinks and a menu “designed for fast paced City mornings”. In addition to its own coffee bars, Saint Espresso supports a growing number of hospitality operators through tailored coffee programmes. These include the newly opened Mr Porter in Mayfair, Virgin Hotels in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and a range of boutique restaurants, bakeries and hotels. Saint Espresso also runs a residency programme from its Here East Roastery in Hackney Wick, where founder Leon Zadeh “champions emerging bakers and culinary creatives”. Zadeh said: “We are growing at a pace that allows us to protect what matters: quality, connection and independence. Opening at Northcliffe House is symbolic. It speaks to our love of history, our belief in modern craft and our desire to bring exceptional coffee to more corners of the City.”

Oxfordshire social enterprise, craft brewery and bakery with former Punch Taverns CEO as investor doubles crowdfunding target: Oxfordshire social enterprise, craft brewery and bakery Tap Social, which has former Punch Taverns chief executive Giles Thorley as an investor, has doubled its crowdfunding target. The company launched the campaign on Crowdcube earlier this month and it quickly surpassed its initial funding target of £500,000. It has now set a new expanded goal of £1m, of which it has currently raised more than £530,000 of that total. Tap Social was founded in 2016 by sisters Tess and Amy Taylor, and Paul Humpherson, all of whom had come from careers in the criminal justice system. Its profit-for-purpose model has seen annual revenue exceeding £2.5m, while the business has delivered 105,000 hours of paid employment to prisoners and ex-offenders. The company, which has five sites, is set to announce a listing with a national retailer across over 150 locations later this year. The investment will support this supermarket expansion in addition to new venue rollouts, brewery scaling, bakery upgrades and brand marketing. It will also create up to 15 new career opportunities for the company’s workforce, 30% of which is made up of ex-prisoners. Tess Taylor said: “We’ve been committed to driving a real social change from day one, and this funding will help us significantly increase the impact we can make. It’s fantastic to gain further support and endorsement through a number of high-profile backers, and the funding we raise now will enable us to realise our ambitions growth plans. We have big plans for increasing the reach and visibility of our mission through more locations and major national retail listings.”

Fi Logan-Wyeth steps down as SSP Ireland MD: Fi Logan-Wyeth has stepped down as managing director of SSP Ireland after two and a half years in the role. She was also marketing director for the travel concessions operator’s UK and Ireland business. She joined SSP in 2014 and worked across both SSP’s marketing and commercial teams. Logan-Wyeth said: “After 11 incredible years, the time has come for me to leave SSP UK & Ireland. It hasn’t been an easy decision, but I am excited about the new challenges and opportunities that lay ahead, and I know I leave my team and the fantastic brands that we have built, in very capable hands!” Last month, SSP hired Scott Etherington – formerly of Debenhams, Co-op and Wasabi – as its new chief financial officer for the UK and Ireland. In May, SSP reported UK like-for-like sales in the six weeks to 11 May 2025 were up 10% as its strong performance continued. Group like-for-like sales during the period grew by 5% on a constant currency basis, including a benefit from the later timing of Easter. 

Yard Sale Pizza lines up Battersea opening: Yard Sale Pizza, the restaurant and delivery business backed by Piper, has lined up an opening in Battersea. The 14-strong business, in which Piper invested earlier this spring, plans to open on the former Pizza Hut at 55 Lavender Hill, later this summer. Piper said the new investment would help the business to supercharge its growth across the capital and into new UK cities. It said the investment would help the Paul Campbell-chaired Yard Sale expand further across London and into new cities, with a goal of reaching 40 shops in five years. Piper said a recent project with CACI identified the potential for more than 500 UK locations in total. 

Welcome Break to open new service station in Leicestershire this week: Welcome Break is set to open a new service station in Leicestershire this week, creating 100 new jobs. The venue, the 61st Welcome Break service area to open in the UK, will open in Hickling on Thursday, 24th July. Located at the intersection of the A46 and A606 near Melton Mowbray, it will feature Starbucks and KFC drive-thrus and a Greggs store. There will also be outdoor picnic benches and a GameZone with adult gaming machines. Adrian Grimes, commercial director at Welcome Break, said: “The new Hickling service area is part of Welcome Break’s continued investment and commitment to enhance motorists' journeys across the UK.”

 

Pub People begins £1.2m project to rebuild Doncaster pub nine months after arson attack: Midlands pub company Pub People has begun a £1.2m project to rebuild the Marr Lodge on the outskirts of Doncaster, nine months after a petrol bomb attack. The venue has a target reopening date of late summer. On the night of the fire on 16 September 2024, emergency services responded to a major blaze – later confirmed as an arson attack – that engulfed and tore through the property. While Michelle Allison, the long-time licensee of Marr Lodge, has remained in her home next to the pub, her team of 25 staff members lost their jobs overnight and Allison lost her livelihood. “This pub is part of who I am,” said Allison. “I’ve missed our lovely team, I’ve missed our fabulous regulars, and there’s been times I just didn’t think we’d ever reopen. To see it rise again means everything, and we can’t wait to throw the doors open again.” Andy Crawford, managing director of Pub People, said: “We’ve all had those late-night phone calls; and when this one came, it turned out to be one of the most chilling moments of my career. But thanks to incredible support, we’re finally back on track.” The new Marr Lodge will offer a refreshed look and a broader food menu. Recruitment is currently underway for its new 25-strong team. The Downing backed Pub People has nearly 50 predominantly freehold pubs operating under its managed partnership model.

 

Peak District operator Longbow Venues set to open new Bakewell venue in early 2026 for sixth site: Peak District operator Longbow Venues is set to open its new bar and restaurant in Bakewell in early 2026. The company secured the historic Royal Bank of Scotland building in the Derbyshire town in April 2024. The group has revealed the venue will be called The Charleston. Inspired by the elegance and exuberance of the 1920s, The Charleston will offer an immersive, all-day experience “where heritage, hospitality and modern comfort meet”. The Charleston will span two floors, with a ground-floor bar and restaurant and an upstairs restaurant, creating 60 jobs. The venue – Longbow Venues’ sixth in total – will accommodate seating for up to 160 guests, with additional standing space in the bar area. A baby grand piano will take centre stage, with daily live music – from smooth jazz to soul to classic 1920s swing – recreating the atmosphere of the prohibition age. A private dining room set within the bank’s original strong room will have space for up to ten guests, while outside, a courtyard will offer additional seating for up to 90 people. As well as breakfast, brunch lunch and small plates, a brasserie-style evening menu will feature seasonal mains, steak, plant-based options and sharing dishes. A curated drinks list will include wine, a nostalgic cocktail menu and a range of low and no alcohol options. Longbow Venues founder Rob Hattersley said: “Bringing this building back to life has been a personal mission. I grew up in Bakewell, and it’s exciting to be reviving such a local landmark full of grandeur. Our goal isn’t just to open another bar and restaurant – we want to build something timeless, joyful and full of pizzazz.”

 

North east operator Sayturk Group brings Flower Cafe concept to Sunderland: North east hospitality and leisure operator Sayturk Group has brought its Flower Cafe concept to Sunderland. The company has opened the venue in Keel Square, having previously agreed a deal with the city council for the fourth and final unit under the Holiday Inn Riverside Sunderland. Sayturk Group already operates Flower Café sites in Newcastle and Alnwick and is also set to open a venue in Whitley Bay. The concept offers a menu of cocktails, beer, patisserie, gourmet sandwiches and gelato. The venue has 113 covers inside and 46 in the outdoor space and has created 20 jobs. Sayturk Group now operates concept bars, late-night venues, pubs, cafes and luxury holiday apartments around the region, with recent acquisitions including Newcastle’s Bar Loco and the lease of Metropolitan House in Collingwood Street in Newcastle, which is set to become a 21-bedroom boutique-style hotel.

 

Manchester cafe concept Federal Café secures Leeds site: Manchester cafe concept Federal Café is to open its first site outside the city, in Leeds. The three-strong business, which was founded by Claudio Ribeiro in 2014, has taken a ground floor retail unit at 34 Boar Lane for an opening later this year. In April, Propel revealed that Federal Cafe, which offers Australian and New Zealand-inspired brunch dishes, had appointed advisors as it looks to secure new backing to ramp up its expansion plans. It is understood to be working with Will Baxter and Payam Keyghobadi, of Dow Schofield Watts (DSW) London, on reviewing its options, as it looks at the next stage of its growth journey. Federal Café is believed to be gearing up to open its fourth site in Manchester in a “super-prime location”. The business, which currently operates sites in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Deansgate and Circle Square development, said it was being offered sites in prime locations in other cities in the north and beyond. Ribeiro previously said the concept has the potential to grow to more than 50 locations and become a UK-wide business.